Drug Abuse Treatment Options: Rules of Effective Treatment

Posted on : August 24th, 2016 |
By : towardsrecovery

Drug abuse is an illness that has many options for treatment. In most cases, the treatment options are designed to fit the actual drug of abuse. No matter what the drug of choice is, there are several aspects of effective treatment that the wide variety of treatment programs should offer. The majority of these principles date back to the 1970s, when researchers began to recognize that addiction can be treated effectively and humanely.

Treatment Options Vary

One of the key features of any effective treatment program is that it may not be effective for everyone. There is a level of failure that can occur, simply because people are different and the way they get well varies. To prove this point, treatment professionals need to recognize that addiction is treatable, even though addiction does change the way that the brain functions. Some drugs alter the brain in more harmful ways. This is why addiction is so difficult to treat – the complexity of each individual human brain creates a challenge for treatment specialists.

Treatment Needs to Begin Immediately

Despite the fact that treatment needs to be personalized, treatment programs need to be put into effect as soon as people recognize that they need help. Treatment programs need to not just work to end drug use, but to also help the entire person. Many people who have drug abuse issues also have issues when it comes to mental health and physical health. They need to be treated completely so they are less likely to relapse and fall into more addictive patterns. Once those treatment programs are established, they need to last long enough to complete the program. In most cases, the programs will last longer than most people expect them to last. No treatment program should be rushed.

The most effective and most frequently used treatments are the ones that use a variety of therapies. Those include counseling therapies like behavioral therapies. When those are combined with prescription medication options, most addicts have success. Not every behavior therapy will work for everyone and not every medication will work for everyone, but there are combinations that will work – therapists simply need to find the right combination.

Programs Should be Adjusted Based on Changing Needs

As addicts move through the treatment program, many addicts will need to have their programs reevaluated. There are changes that will occur with patients and their treatment specialists will need to make thoughtful modification so the patient can continue to have success. Because of the changes that often need to happen, patients need to fully communicate their experiences with their counselors and physicians. They need to be honest about their cravings and their mental health status. They need to share their withdrawal symptoms to physicians can properly treat those, too.

When people are being treated for their addictions, it is important that they are aware of the other dangers that come with drug addictions. Patients need to understand that they should be tested for HIV, Hepatitis B and C, and other infectious diseases, because drug addicts tend to partake in risky behaviors.

Mental Status Should be Considered

As patients move through the challenges of detox and rehab, they might experience changing mental states. Their behavioral therapists and physicians will need to make choices about their medications and dosages. An unexpected mental disorder could completely destroy any progress and bring the patient back to the drug of abuse.

Medicated Detox Will Occur

Another challenge for therapists and patients is the fact that detoxification should often include medications. The challenge comes with the fact that some medications are addictive and will require the patient to detox from them, too. Medically assisted treatment should be watched closely to ensure that patients do not develop any other addictive behaviors that could set back their treatment.

Most people think that treatment can only begin if a patient is fully committed to success. This is not the case. Patients can be forced into treatment, especially if they are not yet considered adults. Treating unwilling patients can slow the process, simply because patients will fight and argue with therapists and physicians, but eventually they will succumb and accept that people are only trying to help them.